In recent years, service models became common within the fields of telecommunication and computing. Many products in the aforesaid technical fields are available on a purchase basis, but also now are available on the basis of a rental-like agreement. A well-known example of the latter case in the field of computing is the subscription of a software product, which typically is referred to as “Software-as-a-Service”—commonly abbreviated as “SaaS”.
In addition to the above example of “Software-as-a-Service”, an increasing number of hardware manufacturers provide a similar type of service for electronic devices, such as computers, computer peripherals, and other electronics. This type of service is also referred to as “Device-as-a-Service (DaaS)” and is mostly used by businesses in view of the flexibility, scalability, and the fact that unlike a typically purchase, no capital investment is necessary.
In both cases, SaaS and DaaS, the service subscriber typically pays a recurrent subscription fee, such as a monthly fee. When the subscriber cancels the service, the service provider terminates the respective service.
In case of Software-as-a-Service, the service provider upon termination of the subscription blocks access to the respective software by the former subscriber. This is possible since in most instances, the software is provided as a “cloud service”, i.e., residing on a computing system that is under control of the service provider.
In the other mentioned example of Device-as-a-Service, blocking access of the former subscriber to the respective device is more difficult since the device typically is in the possession of the subscriber.
While in most cases of an amicable termination, the former subscriber may return the device, it is possible that the former subscriber does not return the device.
This problem rendered it difficult to extend the Device-as-a-Service model to a variety of technologies, for example to the field of audio electronics. While it would be desirable to provide audio devices, such as in particular headsets, on a Device-as-a-Service basis, the present inventor has ascertained that a particular problem resides in the fact that audio devices used in telecommunications must remain functional to allow, e.g., emergency calls.
Accordingly, an object exists to provide an enhanced audio device that is particularly suitable for Device-as-a-Service applications.